Orthopedic device



Feb. 3, 1959 L. D. MILLER 2,871,852

ORTHOPEDIC DEVICE Filed July 31, 1957 Leland ID- LUIQ vfiw w wywo diilnited States Patent Patented Feb. 3, 1959 time ORTHOPEDIC DEVICELeland D. Miller, Rockford, Ill.

Application July 31, 1957, Serial No. 675,419 4 Claims. c1. 128-80) Thisinvention relates to an orthopedic appliance adapted for attachment tothe body and one foot of the wearer to prevent rotation of the foot andthe connecting leg relative to the wearers hip during walking. Suchrotation tends to occur due to weakened hip rotator muscles and resultsin so-called pigeon toed or duck waddling gaits.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel orthopedicappliance which effectually controls the angular position of one footand leg relative to the hip of the wearer, which is of simple andinexpensive construction readily adaptable to legs of different lengths,and which is easy to attach to and remove from the parts of the wearersbody.

A more detailed object is to couple the foot and the hip through themedium of an elongated torque resistant and laterally flexible elementwhich is connected to the foot in a novel manner to facilitateattachment and detachment of the element and prolong its life.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a person equippedwith an orthopedic appliance embodying the novel features of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the appliance detached from a person.

Fig. 3 is an expanded side view of the torque transmitting cable.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the appliance attached to thewearers shoe.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Fig. 2 showing adifferent relation of the parts.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner ofattachment of the appliance to a cast on the wearer's foot and ankle.

The orthopedic appliance shown in the drawings to illustrate the presentinvention is especially adapted for use by a person having weakened hiprotator muscles. With such a condition, the persons feet, duringwalking, tend to turn about the axis of the legs and relative to hipseither inwardly to produce a pigeon toed gait or outwardly in a duckwaddling gait. The improved appliance operates to transmit torque fromthe wearers hip to one foot and thereby retain the same angular relationof the two about the leg so that the foot always points ahead in thedirection of walking. In general, the appliance comprises a belt 10fitting around the pelvic region 11 of the wearer, a member 12 fastenedto a part such as a shoe 13 (Figs. 1 and 4), a cast 14 (Fig. 6) or brace(not shown) secured to and movable with the wearers foot 15 angularlyabout the axis of the leg and relative to the hip, and a torquetransmitting connection 16 between the belt and the member.

The connection 16 for transmitting torque from the belt 10 to thewearers foot 15 is readily adaptable to legs Z of different lengths andpermits a substantially normal movement of the foot in a vertical planeeither with the lower part of the leg in an are about the knee or withthe upper part of the leg in an arc about the hip. To these ends, theconnection comprises an elongated laterally flexible cable 17 whichresists twisting of one end relative to the other and is coupled atopposite ends to the belt and to the member 12 on the foot so as toextend along the outer side of the leg. The couplings 1t? and 19 at therespective ends of the cable prevent the latter from turning about itsown axis relative either to the belt or to the member. Torque thus istransmitted from the Wearers hip to his foot through the belt, the uppercoupling 18, the cable 17, the lower coupling 19 and the member 12.

In the present instance, the cable 17 is of multiple ply,

construction comprising a center strand 20 of piano Wire (Fig. 3) andfour plies 21 wrapped one on top of the other around the center strand.Each ply is made up of four strands 22 of piano Wire disposed side byside and wrapped helically around the center strand or the next innerply, the strands of adjacent plies being wound in opposite directions inthe manner of right and left hand threads. With this construction, thecable is laterally flexible, but resists twisting about its own axis. Itmay be out easily into any desired lengths, the cut ends of the variousstrands 20 and 22 preferably being soldered together to preventunraveling.

The belt 1th in this instance is leather and includes a buckle 23 foradjustment to different sizes. That portion of the belt where the cable17 is attached is stiffened by an elongated metal plate 24- riveted tothe belt, the plate having sufficient flexibility to adapt to thecontour of the hip. In addition to the plate 24, the coupling 13 betweenthe cable and the belt comprises a member 25 carried by the plate andadapted to be secured adjustably to the cable to permit the angularposition of the latter relative to the member and thus the belt to bechanged selectively. Herein, this member is a cylindrical tubetelescoping over the upper end portion of the cable and Welded on itsexterior to the plate, the axis of the tube extending transversely ofthe plate. The cable is clamped in adjusted position within the tube bytwo set screws 2d threaded into radial apertures in the tube.

The member 12 which moves with the wearers foot 15 in this instance is aT-shaped bracket having a flat cross bar 27 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) securedby rivets 28 to the outer side of the shoe 13 or the cast 14 fitting thefoot. Projecting upwardly from the cross bar is a flat center bar 29having one end portion offset inwardly from the other end portion andwelded to the outer side of the cross bar. The other end portion isjoined to the cable 17 by the lower coupling 19.

To avoid breakage of the cable 17 at its point 'of attachment to thebracket 12 and thereby prolong the cable life, the lower coupling 19includes a pivot 30. The latter, while preventing turning of the bracketand thus the foot 15 relative to the cable about the cable axis, permitsrelative rotation of the bracket and the cable about a transverse axis.This reduces the tendency of the lower end portion of the cable to flexlaterally and ultimately break due to fatigue.

In the present instance, the lower coupling 19 comprises a stiff rod orconnector 31 of L-shape having a vertical leg 32 telescoping and clampedtightly within one end portion of a sleeve 33. The other end portion ofthe sleeve telescopes over and is clamped permanently by crimping to thelower end portion of-the cable for movement in unison with this portion.The pivot 30 (Figs. 1 and 5) is formed by the other or horizontal leg ofthe rod which is journaled in a cylindrical bearing surface 34 (Fig. 6)in the outwardly offset end portion of the bracket center bar 29. Thefit between the horizontal leg and the bearing surface is snug to permitrelative turning of the two only about the axis of the leg.

The parts of the lower coupling '19 are held releasably in theirinterfitting positions to enable the wearer to detach the cable easilyfrom the bracket 12, for example, when it is desired to use the samecable and the belt with different shoes. Such releasable holding isaccomplished herein by the provision of an elongated metal clip 35 (Fig.having spaced lugs 36 at one end curved to fit around and frictionallygrip the vertical leg 32 of the L-shaped rod 31. Two rings 37 secured inspaced parallel relation by an integral crosspiece 38 at the other endof the clip telescope over the horizon tal rod leg 30 and straddle theupper end portion of the bracket center bar 29 (Fig. 4). When soassembled on the horizontal leg, the clip is swingable about the axisthereof to move the lugs into and out of gripping engagement with thevertical leg.

in the use of the improved appliance, let it be assumed that the bracket12 is secured to the wearers shoe 13 but detached from the cable 17 andthat the belt 16 is fastened around the wearers pelvic region 11 withthe upper end of the cable secured in the tube on the belt. To attachthe cable to the bracket, the clip 35 is positioned so that the rings 37straddle the bracket center bar 29 and are alined axially with thebearing surface 34% therein. Then, the horizontal rod leg 30 is insertedthrough the alined parts and the clip is rotated about this leg to bringthe lugs into gripping engagement with the vertical leg 32 as shown inFig. 2. The attachment of the cable to the wearers foot thus iscompleted and the appliance is ready for use assuming the cable is inthe desired angular position relative to the belt. If such position isnot correct, it may be changed simply by loosening the set screws 26turning the cable relative to the tube, and retightening the screws.

When a handicapped person walks while wearing the improved appliance,the torque due to the tendency of the foot 13 or leg to twist relativeto the hip is transmitted from the bracket 12 through the lower coupling19, the cable 17 and the upper coupling 18 to the plate 24 on the beltit The plate being secured firmly against the hip resists the torque andthe foot remains in the same angular position relative to the hip aboutthe axis of the leg. During swinging of the foot in a vertical plane inan are about either the ankle, the knee or the hip, the lower endportion of the cable 17 swings with the sleeve about the axis of thepivot 30 of the lower coupling rather than tending to flex laterallyrelative to the sleeve 33. As a result, fatigue and the accompanyingbreakage of the cable are avoided.

To detach the cable 17 from the bracket 12, the clip 35 is rotated aboutthe axis of the horizontal rod leg 39 until the lugs 36 are out ofengagement with the vertical leg 32 as shown in Fig. 5. Finally, thehorizontal leg is shifted endwise and out of the alined rings 37 andbearing surface 3-4 in the bracket center bar 29.

I claim as my invention:

1. An orthopedic appliance having, in combination, a belt adapted to fitaround the pelvic region of the body of the wearer between the waist andthe hip, an elongated torque resistant and laterally flexible elementsecured at one end portion to said belt and extending transverselythereof so as to lie along the outer side of one leg of the wearer whenthe belt is worn, a sleeve 4, having one end portion telescoping withand secured to the other end portion of said flexible element, a bracketadapted to be secured to a part such as a shoe fitting and movable withthe wearers foot, said bracket having a bearing defining a pivotal axisextending laterally away from the outer side of the wearers foot whenthe bracket is attached thereto, an L-shaped rod having one legtelescoping with and secured in the other end portion of said sleeve andits other leg journaled in said bearing, and a clip detachably securingsaid rod and said bracket in assembled relation, said sleeve, said rodand said bearing transmitting torque from said element to said bracketto prevent turning of the wearers foot relative to the hip about theaxis of the leg.

2. An orthopedic appliance having, in combination, a belt adapted to fitaround the pelvic region of the wearer between the waist and the hip, anelongated torque resistant and laterally flexible element secured at oneend to said belt and extending transversely therefrom so as to lie alongthe outer side of one leg of the wearer when said belt is worn, abracket adapted to be secured to a part such as a shoe attached to thewearers foot and to move with the latter about the axis of the wearersleg, and a connector secured rigidly to the other end portion of saidflexible element and pivotally connected to said bracket to rotaterelative to the bracket about an axis extending transversely of theelement and of the wearers leg and to rotate with the bracket about theaxis of the element so as to transmit torque from the latter to thebracket and the wearers foot.

3. An orthopedic appliance having, in combination, a flexible beltadapted to fit around the body of the wearer adjacent the pelvic regionbetween the waist and the hip and having a stiffened portion extendingaround one side of the body, a tubular member secured to said stiffenedportion of said belt, an elongated torque resistant and laterallyflexible element having one end portion telescoping with and securedadjustably in said tubular member with the element extendingtransversely from the belt so as to lie along the outer side of one legof the wearer when the belt is worn, a bracket adapted to be secured toa part such as a shoe attached to the wearers foot and to move with thelatter about the axis of the wearers leg, and a connector securedrigidly to the other end portion of said flexible element and pivotallyconnected to said bracket to rotate relative to the bracket about anaxis extending transversely of the element and of the wearers leg and torotate with the bracket about the axis of the element so as to transmittorque from the latter to the bracket and the wearers foot.

4. An orthopedic appliance having, in combination, a belt adapted to fitaround the pelvic region of the wearer between the waist and the hip, abracket adapted to be secured to a part such as a shoe attached to thewearers foot and to move with the latter about the axis of the wearersleg, an elongated torque transmitting and laterally flexible elementhaving one end connected to said belt to transmit to the latter torqueapplied to the other end of the element, and a coupling between saidbracket and said other end of said element permitting rotation of thebracket relative to the element about an axis transverse to the elementand preventing relative rotation between the two about the axis of theelement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

